The NU Bulldogs completed an elimination round sweep of the UST Growling Tigers in UAAP Season 81 after notching a 69-61 victory Sunday at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
Four Bulldogs finished in double-figures in the win that halted the Tigers' three-game surge. NU improved to a 3-6 slate as UST fell to 4-5.
Dave Ildefonso topped with 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Troy Rike chipped in with 13 points, six boards, and four assists, while John Lloyd Clemente and Issa Gaye combined for 22 markers.
The Bulldogs were leading by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Renzo Subido and Marvin Lee heated up from downtown to push UST within striking distance.
Ildefonso took over when the Tigers were making their run. His crucial layup put NU ahead by seven with 2:56 left in the game. Subido immediately retaliated with a 3-pointer to make it a four-point ballgame, 65-61, but he and his teammates struggled to buy a bucket after that.
Issa Gaye came up huge on both ends of the floor to seal the deal for the Bulldogs, rejecting a Germy Mahinay shot before hitting the dagger basket. The big man made a total of five blocks in the contest.
For UST, Subido finished with 18 points ,including five 3s, while Lee contributed 12 points all from 3-point land.
THE SCORES
NU 69 - Ildefonso D 16, Rike 13, Clemente 12, Gaye 10, Diputado 7, Ildefonso S 4, Yu 3, Joson 2, Sinclair 2, Aquino 0, Gallego 0, Galinato 0, Tibayan 0
UST 61 - Subido 18, Lee 12, Huang 11, Cansino 8, Mahinay 8, Caunan 4, Bataller 0, Marcos 0, Zamora 0, Cosejo 0, Agustin 0
QUARTER SCORES: 15-11, 33-32, 53-42, 69-61
EXTRA DRIBBLES
- NU's Jamike Jarin is the first coach to sweep an Aldin Ayo-coached team in the UAAP (La Salle and UST).
- UST's super rookie CJ Cansino was limited to eight points (2/9 from the field) but he hauled down 18 of his team's 53 rebounds and dished five assists.
NEXT GAMES
NU - October 27 (Sat) vs Ateneo Blue Eagles at Smart-Araneta Coliseum
UST - October 28 (Sun) vs UE Red Warriors at Filoil Flying V Centre